The Brooklyn Nine by Alan Gratz

                                            The Brooklyn Nine by Alan Gratz

Sports Fiction, Historical Fiction

Ages 9-12

Grades 4-7

299 pages - paperback

c. 2009

     The Brooklyn Nine is a story about a German, Jewish immigrant family and their love of baseball that covers nine generations. The story begins when Felix Schneider arrives in Brooklyn, New York in 1845 and end with Snider Flint, the nephew of the owner of a memorabilia shop in 2002. The book is arranged by nine innings or chapters, corresponding to each generation. Within each chapter there are three sections or outs.

Love of baseball, Brooklyn, and the Brooklyn Doger’s are in the blood of the Schneider family. Each chapter features a particular family member, often boys but sometimes girls as well. Along with the history of baseball current events are also brought into the story along with real historical figures. Through the years the Schneider family dodges bullets on a Civil War battlefield, witness the establishment of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, pitch a perfect game and deal with the devastating loss of family and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Through it all, one thing remains true: the bonds of family are as strong as a love of the game.

Along with the family story of each chapter the current issues and concerns of the times are presented. The struggles of immigrants are highlighted in the opening chapter. Felix also meets Andrew Cartwright, who helped found the Knickerbocker Baseball Club. In helping the Knickerbocker Volunteer Fire Department fight a major fire in Manhattan Felix injures his legs and can no longer run or play baseball. He then decides to make a baseball with a wine cork as center and twine and thread wrapped around it and the leather from his shoes damaged in the fire. He scratched a small S for Schneider on the baseball.

Stuart Schneider inherits his father’s homemade baseball and gets to play a game of baseball in Spotsylvania, Virginia during a lull in the fighting during the Civil War. Mike “King” Kelly was one of the first baseball stars and a hero to Arnold Schneider, but sadly when Arnold finally gets to meet him in 1894, he finds out that Kelly has become a drunk and has also run off with the special baseball bat that Arnold’s father had given him. Religious and racial discrimination is explored in the story of Walter Schneider in 1908. His family is barred from a hotel while they are on vacation because they look Jewish and Black Americans are barred from playing major league baseball. Walter meets Cyclone Joe Williams who was perhaps the greatest pitcher of that time. Because of his race he never played in the majors. Francis Schneider loves the Brooklyn Doger’s, and she is also a wiz at math. In 1926 she meets John Kieran, journalist for the New York Times sport section. In 1945 Kate Schneider plays for the Grand rapid Chicks in the All-American Girls Baseball League.  In 1957 Jimmy Flint, her son, faces his fears of the bully in his classroom and the threat of the Cold War. Michael Flint, in 1981, find himself pitching a perfect game during the Little League season at Prospect Park. Finally, in 2002 Snider Flint is having to deal with a lot of disappointments and a bad attitude. The old family house was destroyed by fire, and they are forced to share a small apartment with his uncle Dave. Snider broke his leg escaping the fire. His Uncle Dave finally insists he help in his antique shop by finding out the story behind several baseball items. This assignment changes a lot of things for Snider and at the end he gets to keep the baseball his ancestor Felix made in 1845 although he does not know that.

A good read and not just for baseball fans. There is humor, heartbreak, and action and a cast of very real and diverse characters. Highly recommended.

 

 

 

A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen

 

A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Historical Fiction, Adventure

Age – 10-13

Grade – 5-8

336 pages, hardcover

c. 2015

           A Night Divided, set in Berlin in 1961, is the story of then 8 year- old Gerta and her family waking up to find a barbed wired wall dividing their city. Her father and older brother Dominic are on the other side of the wall and cannot come back. Most of the story occurs four years later when Gerta, now 12, notices her father on the viewing platform of the wall making motions from an old song he used to sing to her involving digging. She concludes that he is asking her and her brother Fritz to tunnel under the wall.

            Attempting to escape Soviet controlled East Germany is extremely dangerous. Her best friend’s brother had tried to escape in the trunk of a car but was found and killed at the border. Now the whole family was under suspicion and being closely watched. Gerta’s mother has not the courage to do this and even her brother Fritz thinks her idea is crazy. However, Gerta is more like her father, who was involved in the resistance, and is determined to try. Eventually her brother joins her in this nearly impossible effort.  

            Nielsen does an excellent job of portraying the fear and resignation of many of the East Germans. Anyone could be a spy and trusting the wrong person could have disastrous results. Gerta and Fritz realize after a while that their apartment is bugged. Because of their father’s past political activity their family is being watched. To make matters worse it is almost time for Fritz to report for mandatory military duty. Tension continues to build throughout the story and since Gerta is the narrator the reader is drawn right into the action.

            This is a story about courage, perseverance, and the will to survive but it also a story of strong family dynamics. Even when they disagree about things, they are fiercely loyal to one another. Their mother is very against any attempt to try and escape to the west but when she realizes what Gerta and Fritz have accomplished she joins wholeheartedly in the effort. When Gerta or Fritz are exhausted, discouraged, or fearful the other one is there to support, encourage or do some of their work. Their love for one another is evident throughout the story and so is their desire to help their friends. In the end their hope, courage, and determination inspire others. In detailing a lesser known period of history, A Night Divided is also a story of true friendship, kindness, generosity, sacrifice, and regrets

Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

Fantasy, Adventure

grade 6-8

ages 11-13

320 pages, hardcover

c.2020

       

            Race to the Sun is similar in tone to Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson Series in which mythological characters and contemporary culture are combined. Nizhoni Begay is a 7^th grade Navajo girl with a burning desire to be famous and popular. Unfortunately, the only way she has been noticed lately is for her mistakes, such as missing the basketball being thrown to her at a critical time in the game and having it hit her in the face. The distraction was caused by her newly awaken power of recognizing monsters in human form. Mr. Charles, the businessman in the stands, and potentially her dad’s new boss, is a monster. He is extremely interested in Nizhoni and her slightly younger brother Mac. He has plans to use Mac’s power over water to help his oil and gas company in fracking and to kill Nizhoni, who is a monster-slayer, so he can release all the monsters who have been imprisoned in the past. Nizhoni slowly becomes aware of Mr. Charles plans, especially when her stuffed horned toad, Mr. Yazzie, comes alive and begins to tell her more about her ancestry. Mr. Yazzie tells Nazhoni that she and her brother Mac are the Hero Twins of Navajo legend and it is their destiny to fight these monsters. This will require them to travel to the sacred land of the Navajo and find four sacred objects that must then be presented to Spider Woman. She, in turn, will help them journey to the home of the Sun. They will ask the Sun for the weapons they will need to fight the monsters. They will also have to pass four trials on their way to the Sun. Nazhoni’s best friend, Davery, accompanies them on the quest.

            Race to the Sun is an exciting, fast moving story. It is narrated by Nizhoni which allows you to see her transformation from an insecure, self-centered girl with anger management issues to a brave, self-sacrificing girl who has a healthy appreciation of both her strengths and weaknesses. The book also deals with the importance of family and cultural identity, forgiveness, friendship, and the hard work and sacrifices necessary to be a real hero. Nizhoni learns to face and conquer her fears during the trials and learns the importance of working together with others during the great battle with the monsters. She also learns the truth about her mother’s departure when she was an infant and that forgiveness can heal many old wounds. Elements of Navajo culture, such as respect for elders and appreciation of the natural world are also illustrated. References to the four sacred mountains and their guardians as well as the mention of other holy people could inspire further research into Navajo mythology.

     Race to the Sun is part of the Rick Riordan Presents series of books that seeks to find authors of minority cultures that can tell stories reflecting their cultures. Race to the Sun is an action, adventure fantasy that uses Navajo mythology as its backdrop. However, as I looked at reviews of the book, I discovered that some traditional Navajo people did not like the book. Their objections included some distortions of the traditional myths and some trivializing of the sacred figures in the myths. A further discussion of this can be found at https://americanindiansinchildrenslit. Roanhorse is a Native American but not a Navajo. However, she is married to a Navajo and wrote this book for her daughter. In the Author’s Notes she states that she wanted to share the beauty of the Navajo culture with both Navajo and non -Navajo kids and to show heroes that Navajo kids could relate to. She also identifies herself as a fantasy writer, not a cultural expert.

The Strangers

The Strangers by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Adventure, Science Fiction

Ages 9-12

Grades 4-7

405 pages, hardcover

c.2019

           Margaret Peterson Haddix is one of my favorite authors because she comes up with such original, compelling plot ideas. Her stories also have a positive feel even though she writes about difficult subjects. Perhaps the fact that she is a Christian account for this.

            The Grayson family, composed of Chess, age 11, Emily, age 9, Finn, age 7, and their mother, are a close knit, loving family. The three siblings, though very different in personalities, are very loyal and supportive to one another. The opening paragraph, which describes them racing home after school and letting Finn win, has the line, “Today he burst into the house calling out, “Mom! We’re home! It’s time to come and adore us!”

            This lovely picture quickly changes as the children find their mother distraught over the kidnapping of three children in Arizona who have their same names and birthdays. Suddenly she announces that she must leave for an urgent business trip and they will be staying with a friend of hers who they barely know.

            Haddix creates a suspenseful adventure story with elements of science fiction and many plot twists. As the children find the information their mother left for them to find, later, there are codes to unravel and more clues to follow. Throughout their adventure each sibling contributes to the solution using their unique gifts and talents. Chess is perceptive. He notices things and remembers them. He was the one who realized that they needed to use their personal knowledge about their mother to help solve the coded letter she left them. Emma is very logical and good with numbers which helps them apply the key to the code and begin to read the letter. Finn tries so hard to be brave and useful and he is the one who notices the different butterfly logos on his mother’s web pages which eventually helps them realize there is a code. Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the siblings. This really helps in getting to know the characters and establishing a bond with them.

            The last part of the letter reveals the shocking news that their entire family comes from an alternative, evil world. Their parents were trying to bring down the evil leaders and in the end had to escape from that world. Now the children are faced with the question of how to rescue their mother. Read on to find out if their daring plan will succeed. There will be two more volumes in this Greystone Secret series.

Remarkables by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Remarkables by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Realistic Fiction, Some Fantasy Elements

age- 10-12

grade - 5-8

292 pages, hardcover

c. 2019

There are many “remarkable” elements in this book. One element that is often missing in current literature is the positive portrayal of an intact family that have a real faith in God. Haddix isn’t preachy and realistically shows the struggles of different family members but the overall tone is positive and hopeful. She deals with some serious topics, such as bullying, and the impact drug addiction can have on all family members.

            The story begins when 11-year-old Marin and her family move from Illinois to Pennsylvania due to her mother’s new job as a professor of nursing. Her dad, a physical education teacher, is still looking for work and for now is the primary caregiver of their new baby, Owen. Marin has some unresolved issues with two girls back home, one of whom used to be her best friend. Still angry at the way they bullied her, she is also uncomfortable at the way she acted toward them at their last meeting. All this is making her anxious about her ability to make new friends when she starts middle school in the fall.  

            While exploring the area around her house she notices a group of teenagers who seem very happy. Suddenly they all disappear. In her attempts to solve this mystery she meets Charlie, who lives next door with his grandmother and two younger brothers. Charlie is living with his grandmother because both his parents are drug addicts, resulting from a tragic accident that his father was involved in. Charlie also sees these teenagers who he calls “The Remarkables.” Charlie has been studying them for a while and he believes they are time travelers. He is also convinced that one of them is his father before the terrible accident occurred that he feels responsible for. Together Marin and Charlie try to figure out if they can change the past and prevent Charlie’s father from turning to drugs to escape his guilt feelings. As they consider different options, they also begin to realize that changing the past could change some of the good things that have happened as a result of the accident.

            Once again Haddix present some thought - provoking ideas about how to deal with the past, present and future. Marin realizes that she and Charlie can’t change the past but then she comments, “Isn’t it better to think about working toward a good future than trying to change the past? … Because the present and the future are the only things you can do anything about . … You can have a good future because the past is over. All you can do is learn from it.” Thus, Charlie comes to realize he is not doomed to follow the mistakes of his father, that he can have a future full of hope. Marin finds the courage to reconcile with her old friends. The effect of that realization and hope is truly remarkable.